1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seatbelts and more particularly pertains to an automobile restraint system for retaining a passenger relative to an automobile seat during deceleration of the vehicle, such as occurs in a crash.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of seatbelts is known in the prior art. More specifically, seatbelts heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of restraining a passenger within a vehicle are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, a torso restraining assembly for an automobile seat is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,683 in which a Y-section of the assembly has a pair of straps extending from a rearward portion of the vehicle over the seat back and connect with a lap strap. When the passenger joins together the buckle and catch of the lap strap, the torso retaining assembly retains the torso of the passenger against the back of the vehicle seat.
Other known prior art seatbelt structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,367; U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,257; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,605.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose an automobile restraint system for retaining a passenger relative to an automobile seat during deceleration of the vehicle which includes a pair of shoulder webs extending from behind the seat over respective left and right shoulders of the passenger to connect with a central web fastened at the forward edge of the seat, and a pair of retaining webs which intersect the respective left and right shoulder webs and extend downwardly to respective left and right sides of the passenger or seat. Further, none of the known prior art seatbelts teach or suggest an automobile restraint system which engages the upper anterior portions of the thighs, and the shoulders of the passenger during deceleration, thereby precluding contact of the webs with the neck, chest and central torso portions of the passenger.
In these respects, the automobile restraint system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of retaining a passenger relative to an automobile seat during deceleration of the vehicle, such as occurs in a crash.